Khuangchera not Indian freedom fighter: Mizo bodies to PMO

A day before the Centre's plan to pay tribute to Mizo warrior Khuangchera, two Mizo students bodies today wrote to the PMO, a day after taking a strong exception of the move, saying the proposal to honour him as an Indian freedom fighter is not acceptable.
The letter was sent by fax to the Prime Minister's Office by the Mizo Students Union (MSU) and the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo Students Association.
Khuangchera, who was killed in 1890, "fought against the British expansion and occupation of our Zo country and not for the freedom of India," the letter said.

Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain is scheduled to attend a public meeting at Ailawng village, about 30 km from Aizawl, tomorrow to pay tributes to Khuangchera as an Indian freedom fighter among the tribals in the northeast.
MSU and MZP said they could not accept that the great warrior is wrongly honoured as an Indian freedom fighter.
A joint resolution adopted by the MSU and MZP yesterday said "Khuangchera did not die for India but for the Mizo people".

Khuangchera and his friend Ngurbawnga were killed in 1890 when they tried to expel the British invaders from Lushai country and save the Mizo people, the resolution said.

Mizo hills were formally declared as part of the British India by a proclamation in 1895. North and South Hills were united into Lushai Hills district in 1898 with Aizawl as its headquarters, according to Mizoram government website.
Meanwhile, another organisation, the Zo Re-unification Organisation (ZoRO), in a statement condemned the Centre's intention to portray Khuangchera as an Indian freedom fighter.
The organisation striving for unification of all the Mizo inhabited areas under a single administration, urged the local organisers to cancel the program as it will harm the sentiment of the Zo people.
Mizoram (then known as Lushai country or Zo country) was not under the rule of any country, the statement said.

The programme at Ailawng, Khuangchera's native village, is being organised by the Mizoram unit of BJP.